Leveling device



A. H. BUELL LEVELING DEVICE Sept. 4, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 2. 1947 m m w m Sept. 4, 1951 A. H. BuELL LEVELING DEVICE Filed May 2, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. fi/Aerf H. 5ae// Patented Sept. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES ?ATENT OFFlCE LEVELING DEVICE Albert H. Buell, Erie, Pa.

Application May 2, 1947, Serial No. 745,456

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to a leveling member for concrete, plaster, or the like and more particularly to a power operated leveling member which possesses the characteristics of a float, a roller and a hand trowel.

The only leveling member now in general use for smoothing concrete, plaster, or the like is a flat hand trowel with a handle thereon which requires a very skillful operator in use and furthermore requires a number of operators for leveling a very small surface of concrete or the like. Furthermore, by use of hand trowels, the human element enters into the leveling of the concrete with the result that an uneven surface is always the result. With the use of hand trowels, the aggregate is not properly worked into the concrete, thereby leaving a generally porous surface which quickly expands and contracts because of changes in temperature, thereby heaving the concrete surface and. ruining the whole concrete bed. Coarse aggregate cannot be used where hand trowels are used because it cannot be worked into the concrete in that there is not enough pressure on the hand trowel to do so.

It is, accordingly, an object of my invention to provide a power operated leveling member which is durable in construction, economical in manufacture, economical in cost, and efficient and economical in operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a power operated leveling member which serves as a float, a roller, and a hand trowel in leveling concrete on a highway or the like in a minimum of time.

Another object of my invention is to provide a leveling member which levels a concrete surface evenly and in a minimum of time.

Another object of my invention is to provide a power operated leveling device which works a fresh concrete surface into a smooth dense mass, especially where the concrete has a low water ratio content.

Another object of my invention is to provide a power operated leveling device which is especially suited for road paving following a concrete grader where it does the secondary screeding and finish troweling.

Another object of my invention is to provide a power operated leveling device which works the concrete downwardly moving one particle of the aggregate away from the other and compressing it into a firm, dense, solid, waterproof and moistureproof mass.

Another object of my invention is to provide a power operated leveling device which is par- 2 ticularly useful in leveling concrete with coarse aggregate such as pavements or terrazzo with little or no fine aggregate to fill the voids caused by large aggregate lying one upon the other in the mass.

Another object of my invention is to provide a leveling device for concrete highways or the like which eliminates the necessity for a fine aggregate topping commonly called a cement topping.

Another object of my invention is to provide a power operated leveling device which has sides and ends rising perpendicularly above the leveling surface to protect the working parts of the device and also serve as a screed.

Another object of my invention is to provide a power operated leveling device which has shock absorbing devices associated therewith.

Other objects of my invention will become evident from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view in vertical section of my novel power operated leveling device;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a flexible strap for securing the motor on my novel power operated leveling device;

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a View taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1 with the attaching screws removed.

Referring now to the drawings, Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive show a box like structure I having a comparatively large level bottom plate 2, vertically extending sides 3 and vertically extending ends 4. The bottom plate 2 has countersunk apertures 5 formed centrally thereof, and it has guiding lugs 1:] preferably formed thereon for highway leveling. A thrust member 6 is disposed centrally of the bottom plate 2 and it has an aperture '3 for jo'urnaling an eccentric shaft 8 disposed centrally of the member 6. The portion of the eccentric shaft 8 engaging the aperture 1 of the thrust member 5 moves concentrically with the thrust member 6. The lower end 9 of the eccentric member 8 is eccentric to the portion III of eccentric member 8 and engages an annular follower ll secured to base plate 2 by headed screw bolts l2 which engage the countersunk apertures 5 in the bottom plate 2. A bushing I3 is disposed between the eccentric portion 93 of the eccentric 8 and the follower II. A thrust plate 14 engages the top of the leveling plate 2 and is secured to the bottom of the eccentric shaft 8 by a headed screw bolt 15. The thrust plate 14 moves rotatably with the eccentric member 8 and is disposed in a cut-away annular portion l6 on the inner periphery of the follower Ii. The upward thrust of the follower H is provided for by thrust surfaces if on the upper portion of the recessed portion 3 of the thrust member 6. The thrust member 6 has a marginal flanged portion H! with recesses 28 of cylindrical shape formed therein for receiving equalizing members 22 secured to the base plate 2 by welding or any other suitable means. A bushing 23 is disposed on the equalizing members 22. A nut 24 threadably engages the eccentric shaft 3 and also engages the upper surface 26 ofthe thrust member 6 to prevent vertical movement of the eccentric shaft 8. The upper end of the eccentric shaft 3 has a square socket 28 for receiving a square ended shaft 29 of a vertically mounted electric motor 3B which in turn is mounted in a supporting bracket 32 having flanged portions 33 on the lower end thereof which have apertures through which screw bOlts 34 extend to engage threaded recesses 35 in the thrust member B to secure the bracket 32 thereto. A clamping ring 36 is disposed around the upper flanged portion 31 of the bracket 32 which has outwardly flanged portions 88 through which extends a bolt and nut assembly 39 whereby the motor 30 may be secured firmly in the bracket 32. A cap member 40 is secured to the thrust member 6 by screw members M. The cap member at has a central aperture 53 for receiving the upper end of the eccentric shaft 8. A covered apertured boss portion on the cap member it is provided for admission of grease and the like.

When it is desired to use my novel leveling member on a highway, shock absorbing members or frames are provided on each end of the box like member I as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. These frames comprise U-shaped frame members iii] having end plates and sliding side members 52 having stops 53 formed on the outer end thereof. The sliding members 52 slidably engage slotted supporting brackets 54 on the sides l of the box like member I. A guiding bolt member 55 extends outwardly centrally from the end members 3 of the box member 1 and extend through apertures in the end members 5! of the end frames 50 to guide the end frames 56 and provide guide means for the springs 55 disposed between the end members 3 and the end plates 5| of the end frames 50.

The bracket 32 has secured thereto a draw bar bracket 60 by bolt and nut assemblies M, the bracket 60 being in more-or-less V-shaped form with the outer ends thereof in arcuate shape to conform to the outer peripheral surface of the bracket 32. The outer end 62 of the draw bar bracket 66 is threaded internally at 63 to receive any suitable draw bar member to haul or draw or pull my novel leveling member behind any form of vehicle such as a grader on a highway.

Although I have described my leveling member as being particularly useful for large concrete surfaces such as for use on highways, it will be evident that very small leveling devices using the same principles may be provided wherein a man or perhaps two men could operate the machine on a small area concrete or plaster surface.

In operation, the motor 39 is energized which in turn rotates the eccentric shaft 8 and causes the follower with the attached base plate 2 to move circularly about the axis of the eccentric shaft 8. It will be noted that the circular movement of the base plate 2 will be very small,

thereby assuring a smooth surface of the concrete being leveled. The motor 30 is heavy enough to provide for the crushing and leveling of the concrete surface being leveled.

It will be evident that the base plate 2 may be weighted with other weights and also the motor 30 may be dispensed with and the motive power pro= vided from a rotating flexible shaft taken from any remote place. The motor 30 is preferably. a

slow speed motor with a high torque.

The shock frames 50 are particularly useful when my novel leveling device moves on a pitched grade as on the paving of a highway where the guiding member 10 and the bottom portion of the base plate 2 rests against screed rails l l The box like member I may be used on both sides of the highway by removing the shock frames 50 so that it may be utilized in any direction. The equalizing members 22 move circularly around the cylindrical recesses 20 in the thrust members 6 thereby equalizing the circular movement of the leveling member on the outer ends thereof and maintaining the whole length of the box like member I in a straight line within the circular movement of the box like member I.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that I have provided a novel power operated leveling device which provides a smooth surface with a minimum of time and labor expended, which has all of the qualities of a float, a roller, and a hand trowel combined, one that works fresh concrete surface into a smooth dense mass, one which does the secondary screeding and finished troweling, one which is easily manipulated over the surface because of the comparatively small circular movements of the leveling member, and one which moves the concrete in a downward direction so that one particle of the aggregate is pushed away from the other particles to provide a firm, solid, dense, waterproof mass of concrete or the like. I have further provided a novel power operated leveling device wherein coarse aggregate with little or no fine aggregate may be utilized and a smooth surface provided, and one which eliminates the need of a fine aggregate cement topping.

Various changes may be made in the specific embodiment of my invention, without departing from the spirit thereof, or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: p

1. A power operated leveling device comprising a vertically extending eccentric shaft having concentric portions, a follower for the eccentric portion of said eccentric shaft, a motor mounted vertically above said eccentric shaft for rotating it, a thrust member for journaling said eccentric shaft and enclosing said follower, a leveling member attached to and movable with said follower, and equalizing members on said base plate of said leveling member spaced in alignment outwardly from said axis of said eccentric shaft, said thrust member having cylindrical recesses for receiving and engaging the side surfaces of said equalizing member.

2. A power operated leveling device comprising a vertically disposed eccentric shaft having'the lower portion thereof eccentric to the intermediate portion thereof, a follower for the eccentric portion of said shaft, a thrust member engaging said follower having recessed cylinder portions spaced from the center of said thrust member, a leveling member attached to and movable with said follower, equalizing members mounted on said leveling member movable in the recessed portions of said thrust member, and a motor disposed above said eccentric shaft for rotation thereof.

3. A power operated leveling device as set forth in claim 2 wherein shock absorbing members are disposed on the outer ends of said box like leveling member.

4. A self-contained power operated leveling device comprising a vertically disposed eccentric shaft, a motor disposed above said shaft for rotation thereof, a follower for said eccentric shaft, a thrust member engaging said follower having recessed cylindrical portions spaced from the center thereof, a substantially flat faced leveling member attached to and movable with said follower, and oppositely disposed upwardly extending cylindrical members disposed on said leveling member epicyclically movable in the recessed portions of said thrust member.

ALBERT H. BUELL. 20

6 REFERENCES omen UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,102,435 Powers July 7, 1914 1,741,240 Jackson Dec. 31, 1929 2,009,542 Day July 30, 1935 2,015,899 Jackson Oct. 1, 1935 2,239,785 Jackson Apr. 29, 1941 2,289,247 Davis July 7, 1942 2,372,163 Whiteman Mar. 20, 1945 2,386,843 Davis Oct. 16, 1945 2,426,703 Millikin et al Sept. 2, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 113,320 Australia June 13, 1941 732,362 France 1932 

